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Satellite images of Popocatepetl volcano (c)Google Earth View

Popocatépetl volcano

Popocatepetl is one of Mexico's most active volcanoes. After almost 50 years of dormancy, "Popo" came back to life in 1994 and has since then been producing powerful explosions at irregular intervals.
In the past centuries befor European invasions, large eruptions produced giant mud flows that have buried Atzteque settlements, even entire pyramids.

Stratovolcano 5426 m / 17,802 ft
Central Mexico, 19.02°N / -98.62°W
Popocatépetl volcano eruptions:
1345-47, 1354, 1363(?), 1488, 1504, 1509(?), 1512, 1518, 1519-23(?), 1528, 1530, 1539-40, 1542, 1548, 1571, 1580, 1590, 1592-94, 1642, 1663-65, 1666-67, 1697, 1720, 1802-04, 1827(?), 1834(?), 1852(?), 1919-22, 1923-24, 1925-27(?), 1933, 1942-43, 1947, 1994-95, 1996-2003, 2004-ongoing
Typical eruption style:
Dominantly explosive, construction of lava domes. Plinian eruptions at intervals of several centuries or few thousands of years, vulcanian and strombolian activity in intermittent phases.
Popocatépetl webcams / live data
Last earthquakes nearby

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Popocatépetl volcano (Central Mexico) activity update: weak explosions every few hours, steaming

Sunday Aug 12, 2012 12:05 PM | BY: T

SO2 plume from Popocatépetl on 12 Aug (NOAA)

Only 3 weak explosions were observed during 9 hours of recent observation. The volcano is emitting a significant steam and gas plume with lots of SO2.

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Popocatépetl volcano (Central Mexico) activity update: steaming, weak explosions, glow from summit lava dome

Saturday, Aug 11, 2012

During the past day, activity has remained low. Popo produced about 1 weak explosion per hour emitting mostly steam. A significant SO2 plume was visible on NOOA's satellite image of yesterday. Seismic recordings are currently suffering malfunctioning, but don't suggest much activity. [more]

Popocatépetl volcano (Central Mexico) activity update: constant steaming

Friday, Aug 10, 2012

During the past 24 hours, 17 weak explosions occurred, and a constant steam and gas plume is rising. Glow is visible at night. [more]

Popocatepetl volcano (Central Mexico), activity update: low intensity exhalations

Thursday, Aug 09, 2012

CENAPRED reportss a total of 15 small-intensity "exhalations" of steam and gas, and sometimes with minor amounts of ash. Tremor at high frequency occasionally occurs in the seismic signal. [more]

Popocatépetl volcano (Mexico), activity summary 1-7 Aug 2012: gas and steak emissions, crater glow, occasional explosions

Wednesday, Aug 08, 2012

During 1-7 August seismicity at Popocatépetl indicated continuing gas-and-steam emissions that may have contained ash during 4-6 August; cloud cover prevented observations during most of this period. Incandescence from the crater was periodically observed. ... [more]

Popocatépetl volcano (Central Mexico) activity update: growing lava dome, occasional strong explosions ejecting ash to 8-10 km altitude

A moderately strong explosion occurred yesterday 7 Aug at 17:58 local time and produced a steam and ash column rising 4 km, and drifting W-SW, CENAPRED reported. ... [more]

Volcán Popocatépetl, whose name is the Aztec word for smoking mountain, towers to 5426 m 70 km SE of Mexico City to form North America's 2nd-highest volcano.  The glacier-clad stratovolcano contains a steep-walled, 250-450 m deep crater.  The generally symmetrical volcano is modified by the sharp-peaked Ventorrillo on the NW, a remnant of an earlier volcano. 
At least three previous major cones were destroyed by gravitational failure during the Pleistocene, producing massive debris-avalanche deposits covering broad areas south of the volcano.  The modern volcano was constructed to the south of the late-Pleistocene to Holocene El Fraile cone.  Three major plinian eruptions, the most recent of which took place about 800 AD, have occurred from Popocatépetl since the mid Holocene, accompanied by pyroclastic flows and voluminous lahars that swept basins below the volcano.  Frequent historical eruptions, first recorded in Aztec codices, have occurred since precolumbian time.

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Source: GVP, Smithsonian Institution - Popocatepetl information